1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap used in a container such as a bottle for cosmetics.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a cap used in a container such as a bottle for cosmetics, there is known a cap having a cap main body that is attached to a mouth of a container main body and that includes an outlet projecting upward and a cap cover connected to a rear end of the cap main body via an opening/closing hinge so as to be able to cover a top portion of the cap main body with the cap cover and to freely open or close the top portion of the cap main body.
One conventional cap of this type is configured so that a manipulation body is provided on a top surface of the cap main body so as to be slidable longitudinally, a manipulation portion is provided on a front end of the manipulation body, and so that a pressing portion is provided on a rear end of the manipulation body. When a user presses the manipulation portion backward, then a front portion of the cap cover is pressed upward in a front portion of the manipulation body so as to swing the cap cover in an open direction, and the pressing portion of the manipulation body presses an opening/closing hinge of the cap cover so as to further swing the cap cover in the open direction. The user can thereby easily open the cap cover even with one hand. This conventional cap is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-37294.
Another conventional cap of this type is configured so that a support fixed to the cap main body and a manipulation body supported by the support are provided, the support is externally fitted into an outlet to cover up downward of an outer circumference of the outlet, the manipulation body is arranged below the support, a manipulation portion is provided on a front end of the manipulation body, and so that a pressing portion is provided on a rear end of the manipulation body. When a user presses backward the manipulation portion, a front portion of the cap cover is pressed upward in a front portion of the manipulation body so as to swing the cap cover in an open direction. The pressing portion of the manipulation body presses an opening/closing hinge of the cap cover so as to further swing the cover cap in the open direction. The user can thereby open the cap cover more easily even with one hand. This cap is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication Nos. Hei 7-9747 and Hei 6-76094.
The former conventional cap has the following problems. The manipulation body is plate-like and the plate-like manipulation body is provided on the top surface of the cap main body so as to be slidable longitudinally. Due to this, a resistance between the manipulation body and the cap main body increases, which often makes it impossible for the manipulation body to smoothly slide. In particular, a content of the container flowing out from the outlet is soaked, deposited and grown in a sliding portion (movable portion) of the manipulation body in which the manipulation body slides relatively to the cap main body. This gradually deteriorates a movement of the manipulation body, with the result that the user is often incapable of easily opening the cap cover with one hand.
The latter conventional cap has the following problem. Since the support and the manipulation body are formed separately, the number of constituent elements of the cap increases accordingly. This makes manufacturing of the cap complicated and cumbersome. Furthermore, it is necessary to separately assemble the support and the manipulation body with the cap main body, resulting in a complicated cap assembly operation.
Moreover, both the former and latter conventional caps have the following common problems. Since the manipulation body is formed into a plate shape, a force of pressing the manipulation portion of the manipulation body backward is transmitted directly to the pressing portion and the pressing portion strongly presses the opening/closing hinge of the cap main body right before start of opening of the cap cover. Due to this, in the case where an opening/closing operation for opening/closing the cap cover is repeated, then the opening/closing hinge is broken or damaged, with the result that the cap cover cannot be smoothly opened or closed after use of a short period of time. Besides, in each of the former and latter conventional caps, the manipulation body has a large sliding surface and a high sliding resistance. Due to this, in the case where the content adheres to the manipulation body, the sliding operation of the manipulation body is adversely influenced.